A good time for cleaning and some preventative garage door maintenance

On a busy day your garage door may open and close 20 times, so routine maintenance is a must to keep it in good working order. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular garage door cleaning and maintenance will guarantee a great look and longer life of your door.

Appearance

Clean your garage door regularly with mild soap (like dishwashing detergent) and a soft bristle brush. Avoid using abrasive cleaners and very strong liquid cleaners which could damage the paint or cause delaminating. If you have a steel garage door, you can revive its luster by applying a car wax as it will protect against acid rain and dust. It is best to avoid waxing in direct sunlight to achieve better results. If there’s exposed wood, be sure to paint it.

Exterior Weather-Stripping

Clean the weather stripping around the frame and bottom edge with a good all-purpose cleaner. Lubricate it every 2 or 3 months with a Silicone-based lubricant to keep the stripping pliable. Never use a petroleum-based lubricant on weather-stripping as it will dry up and crack. It is important to let your weather-strip hang 1/2″ below the door base when you readjust your perimeter weather-stripping. If the weather-stripping is too tight, the door will not function properly. So if your weather-stripping has lost its flexibility, it is best to replace it.

Final Advice
Consider your garage door as an important part of your home. With appropriate annual maintenance, it will door will provide carefree convenience for many years to come. Ask a qualified garage door installer, to lubricate and adjust your garage door at least yearly. A check-up will insure he will lubricate all the above mentioned parts and perform any required repairs.

The Original All Steel Carriage House Garage Door

The Original STEELHOUSE Door is an innovative “Modern Carriage Door“, manufactured entirely of steel.

The Original STEELHOUSE™ garage doors have two-sided steel insulated facing boards that are textured, roll formed and laminated to steel backers and then mechanically fastened and bonded to a 23 gauge steel section. Four-inch wide, two-sided steel insulated boards are bonded with epoxy cement and mechanically fastened to ensure positive attachment to the face of the door. All Original STEELHOUSE Doors come standard with CFC-free polystyrene insulation.

A “Reinforced Integral Truss System” (RITS™) gives the Original STEELHOUSE doors strength and rigidity that is unmatched by similar products. In addition to their distinctive style and curb appeal, the Original STEELHOUSE patented doors are half the weight and cost of wooden doors. Virtually maintenance-free, the Original STEELHOUSE doors will not warp, crack, or split. Quite simply, it doesn’t get better than that.

From a base of nine models and over 15 designer top sections, Original STEELHOUSE Doors offer more than 200 unique configurations to ensure diversity from one home to the next and from one subdivision to the next. Homeowners, builders, architects and municipalities alike, are using Original STEELHOUSE Doors to bring a fresh, handsome appearance to neighborhoods across the country.

The Original STEELHOUSE Door combines rich traditional styling with three key benefits not found in wooden doors: half the weight, half the cost, and half the maintenance. True to Carriage House style, these doors can be detailed with classically finished handles, pulls, hinge straps, and windows.

Download the Steelhouse Brochure & Specifications here!

When is it Time to Replace The Garage Door?

Garage doors are designed to last many long years. Products are available to help maintain the operation and beauty of garage entries, with a bit of annual maintenance. Many homeowners only think to replace garage doors when something happens that makes it necessary, such as being hit with a car or lawnmower.

Even without accidental damage, garage doors do suffer wear and tear over time, especially from the elements. Waiting too long to replace worn out doors and openers can create a serious safety hazard. Doors and openers that are worn cease to operate properly, and accidents can occur.

Energy efficiency is yet another reason to upgrade existing garage doors. Over time, the seals that help stop air loss around the garage doors weaken and wear out. Once these seals become too worn, air loss begins to occur, which creates an expensive power concern. For old doors that do not have insulation, replacing them with new, well insulated doors is an investment in energy conservation that can pay for itself in energy savings over the life of the door.

Signs to look for that a garage door is at the end of its useful life include lack of insulation and modern safety features, air seals that are torn and worn out, and dents and breaks in the door. Fiberglass garage doors will often fracture upon impact. If this happens, the door’s safety is compromised. When the door is in the full overhead open position, part of the door could fall off due to the fracture and cause serious damage to nearby items, and even more serious injury to anybody standing under or near it when the break occurs.

Likewise, garage doors with considerable dents also pose a safety risk as misshapen doors can interfere with the smooth operation of automatic door openers. If any part of a metal garage door is dented outward, or inward, in such as way that it makes contact with the ceiling or any other object or portion of the opener mechanism, malfunctions will occur. In this event, the door should be fully closed then detached from the automatic opener until a garage door service can install a replacement.

Safety is an important consideration with garage doors. Because they are heavy and are usually hung from overhead, the risk of a door, or part of a door, falling and causing property damage or injury to people and pets should be carefully avoided. If an existing door’s safety features falter, it should not be used and must be replaced. Every garage door must have bump sensors that automatically reverse and raise the door if it bumps anything on the way down. To test that this feature is fully functional, put a block of wood under the door and attempt to close it with the automatic opener. If the door does not reverse on its own, the bump sensors are no longer working.

While garage doors can last many years with regular maintenance, safety concerns are the number one reason to replace old doors. Of course aesthetic style and energy efficiency are also important. However, if a door shows signs of dangerous wear and tear, getting a replacement garage door should not be put off.

Garage Door Shopping

Most homeowners, if any, experience shopping for a new garage door. When we do, we often get a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices we need to make.

Signs of a garage door in need of replacement include sagging, peeling paint or dented steel, light coming through the bottom, worn or rusted hardware, or simply inconsistent operation.

If you are renovating your house and think it would look better with a new door, by all means take the plunge. New doors are not particularly expensive. It is really hard to make a bigger improvement to the look of your home’s exterior in just a few hours than by having a new garage door installed.

But there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you start shopping for a new door. First, most garage doors can be painted. If your biggest gripe is simply that the existing door color isn’t right, or the coating is dirty or peeling, consider opting for a paint job instead of replacement.

Second, if you just have a problem with a single panel, you may be able to find a replacement for the panel without having to replace the entire door. Look for a serial number on the bottom of the panel, and then contact the manufacturer or a garage door supplier who handles the same brand of door. If the garage door is not too old, you may be able to order a matching panel, although it is quite possible that the color of the replacement will not exactly match the faded color of the remaining panels.

But if replacement remains the goal, here are some tips and links that can help guide you through the shopping experience.

• Material. There is really no “best” material for a garage door, but there probably is a best choice for your home. Learn about the different materials garage doors can be made of.
• Style. Yes, you really do need to be style conscious when choosing a new garage door. Houses are built in styles, and garage doors are made to conform with, or at least complement, those styles.
• Cost. As with just about everything else, you can spend a lot of money or very little money on a garage door.  
• Find an Installer. Find a top quality, reliable and affordable professional to do the job.

Garage Door Spring Tips

An important component in the mechanical make-up of garage doors is the spring system.

Without springs the doors would not rise and fall. These components should be in good, strong working condition at all times for the doors to function properly. The counterbalance springs do the actual lifting and closing.

When the doors rise the springs unwind. This provides the necessary power to do the lifting. When the door closes, the weight of the door winds the springs back up until the door is entirely shut. At this stage the springs are fully tensed again.
The springs need to be adjusted periodically.

When the typical door weighs about three hundred pounds and involves the co-ordination of pulleys, cables and springs, this is inevitable. It is not difficult to do a cursory check up. With safety glasses on one can pull on the red emergency release cord so that the doors are opened manually. By lifting it halfway and observing if it stays in place or falls, one can determine if it is out of balance. If it falls, then it is not in balance.

There are other assessment suggestions described on the site for testing the poor performance of the doors. When the doors need adjustment, it is time to call the technicians. While at your home the experts can provide other services as well such as installing an automatic opener. This is a convenient addition since it permits one to control opening and closing without leaving the vehicle.

One must not forget the springs are stretched very taut while holding open a three hundred pound item. If improperly mounted the damage it could do to a person could be devastating. When there is a problem call your local licensed and insured garage door professional.

The Garage Door and the Broken Spring

If you think you have a garage door broken spring you should know for certain because generally when a garage door broken spring happens you may have to open you garage door manually.

Hopefully you know where the manual override is located so you can open you garage door manually.

If your garage door broken spring happens you may also have other problems with your garage door. This is a good time to call your garage door service company and schedule an inspection of your garage doors and also have them repair the broken spring. They may have to replace both springs. Just because one garage door spring breaks it doesn’t necessarily mean the other one is bad but since they have both been on there for the same length of time it is probable that the other spring has fatigue and may break soon. You don’t need to take that chance. Just have both garage door springs replaced or however many garage doors you have and then only pay for one service call.

A garage door itself can last for a long time. If it is metal it can be repainted if it begins to look tired. A wood garage door may have problems sooner because the weather will make a wood door swell and shrink unlike a metal garage door. But a metal garage door can also encounter problems. A metal garage door has working metal parts. When metal works and is used and has strain on it and has to carry weight thousands of times then the garage door parts may start to wear out. So having your garage doors inspected once in a while by a garage door service company is a good idea.

When a garage door service company checks out your garage door they may look at the hinges that make the garage door roll up. They will check out the light sensors to make sure they are working properly. They will also check how easily your garage door rolls up or operates. If it is uneven they will make the necessary repairs. This may be as simple as oiling the bearings or adjusting the chain pulley if the door has one. They will also check out your garage door openers and may even replace the batteries in them if they can.

At some point you may decide to freshen up the outside of your home. You can do this by calling your local garage door company and looking at replacing your garage door. Since you have a lot of choices for styles and looks of garage doors you can really change how the outside of your home looks for very little money as compared to remodeling your entire home.

A properly operating garage door is a safe operating garage door. If a garage door spring or tension bar breaks it only takes a second or two for it to come crashing to the ground. So an annual or bi-annual inspection is a good idea.

Garage Door. Garage Door Springs.

Keep The Door To Your Castle In Good Shape

Garage doors are an important part of your home. They tend to take a great deal of abuse while protecting your family’s vehicles and all the other tools or valuables you have stored away.

Hockey and baseball players need a target for their shots and throws, and where better than the garage door? All this endless thumping only makes the wear and tear on the door to your garage progressively worse.

Your garage door can increase or decrease the value of your property and your home’s curb appeal, based on how well it functions or how attractive it is. It may even become a great liability or a serious nuisance if it is not fully functional. Take a close look at your garage door. Perhaps it is time to seek out a garage door service company for repair, a new door spring, or a complete replacement.

A door that is not functioning properly is a danger and a liability. An average one is likely to weigh three hundred to six hundred pounds. If this falls on a person or an automobile, it can leave quite an impression. Lessening the dangers of a garage door malfunction is the ideal if you want to protect your family, friends, and pets. Cutting corners by doing nothing could eventually cost you more than the value of your home in a lawsuit.

Since the garage door moves by being hoisted onto metal rails up to often ten feet in the air, it can potentially be deadly. If the garage door spring breaks or goes off track, it is possible that the device could fail to stay up and fall to the ground without warning. Having six hundred pounds of metal land on a friend or relative, could cause a lawsuit being filed against you. It is urgent that you find a reliable, trustworthy, and experienced garage door service company to fix any mechanical problems.

Seriously consider when to pay for a garage door repair versus when to replace it. Of course, repair costs less than a replacement. However, if the repair is not done properly, or the door is too far gone, it can end up being a waste of time and money. There are some parts that can be simply repaired.

The door spring is simple to fix, but does require an expert because of the danger involved. Don’t ever try to make this repair yourself. Other examples of reparable problems include broken cables, garage door opener malfunctions, or broken cables and rollers. A door off of its tracks can be adjusted and made to work as good as new.

The key to knowing when to replace the entire door or when to have a repair done is having a trustworthy garage door service company to consult with. Have experts come to evaluate the problems and weaknesses in your system. Allow them to determine if a section replacement is enough or if a new door should be installed. Whatever you decide, be sure to choose an attractive paint color to add beauty to your castle.

The Friday Funny: Bye Bye Garage Door

Why Replace My Garage Door?

Cracking and sagging, impossible to lift, and generally falling apart – these are just some of the common signs that will tell you it’s time to replace your garage door with a new one.

However, there are a few people who, in spite of the absence of any of these, still go for a replacement garage door. Why they do so? Here are a few reasons why garage door should be replaced.

1. Increase the value and improve the appearance of your home. Have you ever noticed that the garage door represents ¼ to 1/3 of the front of your home? If you have, then you will know exactly what a new stylish and maintenance-free garage door can do for the value of your home. Believe it or not, even real estate agents will confirm that when you decide to sell your home in the future, it will be easier to do so if its garage door looks good. Moreover, new garage door also boost the overall appearance of your home. Simply choose from a wide variety of garage door colours, styles, and windows to match the look of your home and voila – your home will look even better in no time.

2. Increase your garage’s uses. Although some homeowners use their garage solely for parking their vehicles, there are many who decide to utilize it beyond such purpose. That’s why they use an insulated garage door between R-12 & R-18 to make it a more conducive place to work in. With such condition, the garage can now be used as workshop, art studio, playroom, special party room, heated storage room, and even a music room.

3. Provide added protection to the items stored in the garage. Extreme heat and cold can damage the items stored in your garage. You need to replace your old garage door with an insulated one to prevent things from happening. This often comes with a thermo barrier, preventing heat and cold from traveling from the outside to the inside surface. Combine this with a double fin rubber seal, bottom rubber weather strip, and PVC weather strip and you’ve got one of the tightest sealing garage doors ever. But aside from elements, a metal insulated garage door also protects your stored items from thieves who are attempting to break in. Unlike wooden or metal non-insulated door, the metal insulated one is more difficult to drill and kick in.

4. Avoid easy access to your home. Chances are your home can still be easily accessed even if you have the toughest front door installed, but your garage door is just the ordinary type. So to avoid this from happening, have a garage door opener that features rolling code technology. This makes it really difficult for anyone to enter through the garage door as the opener uses one of 100-billion new codes every time the door is opened.

5. Reduce the risk of injury. If you’re still using your old garage door openers, perhaps you’ll consider replacing them with the ones equipped with photo electric eyes. These are now mandatory since they sense when something is passing through the opening or is in the way when the door is coming down, preventing an injury.

Cheap Cheap Garage Doors!

Time to consider a new garage door? Are there dents, dings, peeling paint, or has it not opened or closed in a long time? There are lots of different ways to find cheap garage doors, although the key to pricing is in relation to the type of door you want.

The best value will be those made out of steel. They are tough, heavy duty, and they also provide a reasonable level of protection for your house. Wood is very widely used, and it is easily obtainable in a number of different finishes and colors. This is typically the priciest type, but the look for your home is just terrific. With today’s technological know-how, the steel can potentially rival wood in terms of the appearance, but real timber always takes first place amongst homeowners for looks.

The web has become the first place that a lot of consumers look when looking for home improvement objects. For many individuals, the various garage door company sites offer the visitor an opportunity to do a little research on designs, colors, warranties and price. A number of these sites also offer exclusive deals that can only be obtained online.

You’ll find cheap garage doors if you make an effort to try and do a little research. By understanding as much as you can regarding the different materials, variations, and warranties available, you will be better prepared to begin the search for this important part of your home’s curb appeal.